A day after a three-way tie opened play at the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur hosted at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, three players again tied for the lead at the midway point of the Championship. Japan’s Rintaro Nakano, first-round co-leader Khanh Hung Le of Vietnam, and Australia’s Harry Takis will enter the weekend at 11 under.
A year after finishing two strokes shy of victory last year in his home country, Nakano closed with a birdie at the par-5 18th to reach 11 under.
“Yeah, I didn't play well on the front nine and started to feel a bit uneasy,” said Nakano, who is hoping to follow in the footsteps of former Japanese Asia-Pacific Amateur champions Hideki Matsuyama, Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima. “But I made the eagle on the 13th hole again, so I got my confidence back.”
The 21-year-old’s rounds of 67-66 – highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 13th for the second straight day – were matched by Le’s rounds of 66-67 two groups behind him. Le sits seven under on the more difficult front nine through 36 holes. The front nine is playing approximately one stroke tougher than the back nine in relation to par.
Le, a 17-year-old University of Illinois commit, is seeking to become the first Vietnamese player to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur. With a win, he would earn an invitation to the 2026 Masters Tournament and an exemption to The 2026 Open. He would become the first Vietnamese player to make an appearance in either major.
“I feel like I'm grateful to be here and I'm just really appreciating the journey and the experience for this year, the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Dubai,” said Le, who made his debut with a T-24 finish in 2023 but missed last year’s Championship after having visa issues. “I just want to enjoy every moment.”
Takis, who was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year this spring for San Diego State University, used a late run to reach 11 under. He birdied four of five holes from Nos. 13-17 to finish off a 67-66 two-day total.
“Yeah, there's no better group to play in than the last one,” said Takis. “I can't be disappointed with that. It's what we play for, massive opportunity, great city, great part of the world.”
At even par through two rounds, Geoffrey Laklak (T-23) of Lebanon made history on Friday as the first player from his nation to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Lebanese players had made 22 previous appearances in the Championship’s 16-year history prior to Laklak’s breakthrough on Friday.
“It means the world to me; Lebanon has always done so much for me and my family, especially, given us amazing opportunities to play in these amazing events,” said Laklak, who came close to making the cut last year before a ‘nightmare’ late double bogey ended his run. “It feels good to finally repay all the opportunities they gave us. There's one golf course [in Lebanon], and you know, golf isn't really a big part of Lebanon because it's not, like a guarantee.”
Sixty-two players made the cut which fell at six-over 150. Three hometown players from the UAE made the cut: Ahmad Skaik (T-10), Sam Mullane (T-19) and Rayan Ahmed (T-42). Players from the UAE had only made the cut three times previously in the Championship’s history.
